BAKERSFIELD — An elderly man was shot and killed on Sunday night after a confrontation with sheriff’s deputies in east Bakersfield. Gregory Johnson, 67, of Bakersfield, was pronounced dead by doctors at Kern Medical Center on June 15, from at least one gunshot wound.
According to the Kern County Sheriff’s Office, the incident took place after deputies responded to the Center Street Board and Care residential facility located at 2451 Center St., east of Mt. Vernon Avenue and south of Monterey Street, regarding a resident standing in front of the facility armed with a knife at about 8 p.m. on June 15.
“When deputies arrived, they confronted the suspect, who was standing outside of the facility,” Ray Pruitt, spokesperson for the sheriff’s department said. “The suspect, who was armed with a knife, charged deputies, who discharged their firearms, striking the suspect at least one time.”
An ambulance transported Johnson to KMC, while the knife — an 8 inch switchblade — was recovered at the scene by detective. An unidentified witness told detectives that Johnson was a current resident at the facility, and had not been a problem in the past.
No one else was hurt during the incident. The deputies, who have been identified as James Perry and Daniel Garcia, are on paid administrative leave while the shooting is reviewed.
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